Write First, Clean Later

On one of my mystery listservs , participants shared their local "stupid-criminal" stories, which I love! These made me laugh out loud, so I thought I would share. “A man was arrested thi...

http://ljraves.blogspot.com/2011/09/on-one-of-my-mystery-listservs.html

Thanks everyone for reading and commenting here on Blogger with me. I appreciate your support and participation! After a long (and somewhat painful process), I've finally created a new site that ...

http://ljraves.blogspot.com/2009/05/ive-moved.html

I was on my way to an interview yesterday with a homicide detective, and she called to cancel because she was at a homicide scene. Of course I responded, “Can I come down there? Please!” So ...

http://ljraves.blogspot.com/2009/05/scene-of-homicide.html

I read a blog post recently that claimed having a day job is good for your writing career and it made me wonder. She supported the claim with several points , the first being that having a steady...

http://ljraves.blogspot.com/2009/05/is-your-day-job-good-for-your-writing.html

Screenwriter William Goldman is famous for saying “nobody knows anything” about the people running Hollywood and the entertainment industry. Recent book discussion chatter about one of the E...

http://ljraves.blogspot.com/2009/05/hope-for-all-writers.html

As a fiction editor and evaluator, the most common problem I encounter is with point of view. The advice I constantly give writers is: Stick with one POV for chunks of text, then signal the ch...

http://ljraves.blogspot.com/2009/04/how-many-povs-do-you-need.html

“It's really expensive,” she said of the Kindle 2, which Amazon sells for $359. “If you're going to pay that, you're giving a statement to the world that you like to read - and you're prob...

http://ljraves.blogspot.com/2009/04/kindle-and-literary-snobs.html

I recently completed my third Jackson story—working title, Thrilled to Death. Most of my early readers think it’s the best Jackson story yet. We’ll see. The first person I sent it to was an...

http://ljraves.blogspot.com/2009/04/publishers-agent-and-new-novel.html

I guest blogged today about how to write a great first draft. There's lots of helpful information. Stop in. Working Stiffs

http://ljraves.blogspot.com/2009/04/your-first-draft-doesnt-have-to-suck.html

As the publishing industry evolves and new models are tested, it will be interesting to see if the role of the author changes. Specifically, I wonder if authors will gain more control over the pr...

http://ljraves.blogspot.com/2009/04/feeling-powerless.html

Sometimes “no” is the right answer. In early February I started a job at the Register-Guard, our local newspaper. I work 19 hours a week with no benefits, and I have one responsibility: wri...

http://ljraves.blogspot.com/2009/04/staying-true.html

A post on on Salon about detectives said most characters “…fail to capture our imaginations the way a gritty detective with a bad attitude and a drinking problem does.” It went on to say:...

http://ljraves.blogspot.com/2009/03/whats-wrong-with-good-guys.html

Mystery/suspense/horror novelist Jack Kilborn (aka J.A. Konrath) stops in today to evaluate his experience with a blog tour promoting his latest release, AFRAID . I’ve seen reviews on the mys...

http://ljraves.blogspot.com/2009/03/blogathon-be-afraid.html

Neil Placky’s excellent guest blog on The Kill Zone recently got me thinking about the nature of mystery series, police procedurals in particular. The series seem to fall into three camps: pro...

http://ljraves.blogspot.com/2009/03/cop-characters-credibility.html

Has anyone noticed how hard it is to cancel a magazine subscription these days? They simply won’t let you go. They may stop sending you copies, but the invoices just keep coming. Usually with s...

http://ljraves.blogspot.com/2009/03/junk-mail-that-makes-me-crazy.html

Today’s guest blogger is Mark Phillips, author of The Resqueth Revolution , a gripping, highly recommended sci-fi story with thought-provoking social commentary. But forget the social comment...

http://ljraves.blogspot.com/2009/03/writing-action-is-like-writing.html

This month I’m hosting two authors who are on blog book tours to promote their new releases. Mark Phillips, author of THE RESQUETH REVOLUTION (a book I’m proud to have edited) will be here o...

http://ljraves.blogspot.com/2009/03/defing-blog-tour.html

I have a rough draft of new novel completed (yea!), and people are offering (wanting!) to read it. One offer is from a somewhat well-know writer who will give me a good blurb if he likes it. And ...

http://ljraves.blogspot.com/2009/03/beta-readersare-they-useful.html

Two reader-forum discussions highlight how author protectionism can go too far. The first being the Kindle 2 and its text-to-speech feature that allows users to have the book read to them in th...

http://ljraves.blogspot.com/2009/03/authors-shoot-themselves-in-both-feet.html

The more I learn the less I know. Especially regarding technology. But I keep trying. My new plan is to combine my website and blog into a single online presence. It makes sense to me to send re...

http://ljraves.blogspot.com/2009/02/blog-versus-website-or-blogsite.html

I started a part-time job recently (in addition to my freelance business ) and am feeling a little scattered as I try to keep up with everything I have going on. And financially, we’re still st...

http://ljraves.blogspot.com/2009/02/simplify-simplify-simplify.html

There was long and passionate discussion on a list serv recently (Murder Must Advertise ) about writing software. Many people posted about how much they hate Word, especially the 2008 version, an...

http://ljraves.blogspot.com/2009/02/writing-software.html

As the Kindle 2 is unveiled, the buzzword in publishing is e-book, e-book, e-book. It’s the only segment of the industry in which sales are growing, and this phenomenon has some readers worr...

http://ljraves.blogspot.com/2009/02/as-kindle-2-is-unveiled-buzzword-in.html

I started a job last week at the Register Guard , our local paper. I’m writing features for the special sections (supplements to the paper with titles like Home & Garden and Tastings). It’s 1...

http://ljraves.blogspot.com/2009/02/status-update.html

I’ve been thinking about redesigning my website . When I first put it up I was in a hurry, needing a web presence ASAP to support various promotional activities I had going. A graphic artist/fr...

http://ljraves.blogspot.com/2009/02/what-makes-great-author-website.html